Leslie Scott

Leslie Scott (1974-) was a British politician and MP who served as leader of the Labour Party from 2010.

Biography
Leslie Scott was born in Dumfries, Galloway, Scotland in 1974 to a working-class Scottish family. Scott became a trade union lawyer before entering politics with the Labour Party, being elected to Parliament for the first time in 2005. Scott was popular with the social democratic wing of the party, and he became party leader in time for the 2010 general election. Under Scott, Labour achieved disappointing, yet predictable, results: the Conservative Party under Albert Stanley won the election with 54.32% of the vote and 16 seats, with Labour placing second with 17.24% of the vote and 5 seats; they were tied for seat count with the SNP (which won 16.65% and 5 seats), and they were just ahead of the Lib Dems (with 11.98% and 4 seats). Scott had the backing of Labour in the ensuing leadership contest, but Stanley won the support of the SNP and Lib Dems in forming a center-right coalition government.

Scott then became Leader of the Opposition, and he proposed a public housing bill which was passed 18-7 with broad support (including all of the opposition parties and half of the Tories). Scott had MP Will Neary fired after he was implicated in a corruption scandal, and he was replaced in Parliament by Saleem Rufat, a younger and more centrist politician. In January 2011, the seat reduction bill was implemented, granting Labour an additional sixth seat and reducing the Lib Dems to three seats. In the ensuing general election, Labour rose to 20.27% of the vote and 6 seats at the expense of the Tories, who dropped to 51.56% and 14 seats. The SNP remained at 5 seats with 16.73% of the vote, while the Lib Dems dropped to 11.44% and 3 seats. The Conservative government was renewed in a 21-6 vote, with Labour MP Saleem Rufat and SNP MP Henry Rath defying their party whips to back opposing sides. As a result, Rufat was sacked and replaced by Irene Tompkins.